Wonderwall
by Quistis Chick
Summary: A short story about Tifa and Cloud after the events at the Northern Crater.


Wonder Wall  
By Quistis Chick  
  
_There are many things that I  
Would like to say to you  
But I don't know how  
Because maybe  
You're gonna be the one that saves me  
And after all  
You're my Wonderwall  
****_- Wonderwall, by Oasis  
  
She sat watching him, wondering what he was thinking. He rarely ever voiced his thoughts or feelings. It must be hard, she thought, to have gone through what he did with out ever saying how it made him feel. Countless times she tried to reach out to him, tell him he had a friend, but everytime he shut her away. And now, with Sephiroth destroyed and the Planet safe again, they would go there own ways, and she wouldn't get the chance again.  
  
He looked up at her from his seat on the grass, and smiled. The group sat outside Kalm, where a celebration was taking place. Some of the residence were setting of fireworks, filling the sky with a breath taking display of color, a nice change from the Meteor's firey presence.   
  
She stood from her position and walked over to him. Plopping down, she sighed. He looked at her, and it was her turn to smile.  
  
"Hey," he offered, looking away, to the star filled sky above. She frowned. She could see the stars in his Mako-blue eyes, and prefered that to the real thing. Another blast from the fire works rang out, and a brilliant emerald light filled the sky. She looked at the color as it faded away. She turned her attention to him again.  
  
"Their beautiful, aren't they?" she asked, looking at him. His gaze was still on the stars. He blinked a few times, and sighed.  
  
"Yeah . . . the green . . . just like her eyes," he voice trailed off as another firework jumped playfully across the sky. He shook his head, sliding down till his elbows supported him. She leaned back next to him, her heart filling with a distant pain. Her eyes . .   
  
"Tifa, can I tell you something?" he asked suddenly, and she turned her gaze to him.   
  
"Oh course, anything," she said, glad he was going to share his feelings with her. He shifted his weight over to one arm and ran his fingers through his hair. He breathed in and continued.  
  
"When we were at the crater, before the lifestream started to emerge from the core, I saw . . . well, at least I think I saw . . . Aeris' . . . hand reach down from it."  
  
She didn't say anything. Why is he telling me this? she wondered.  
  
"And I reached for it, and Tifa, I felt so happy. Like she was . . . I don't know," he trialed off, and she swore his voice was breaking a little.  
  
Tifa frowned inwardly. But she offered, "Like she was there for you? Like she was back?"  
  
He nodded slightly. "Yeah. Then I heard this sound. It sounded like her voice." He stopped and sighed. She felt her jaw tighten. She looked at the grass, and another blast filled the sky. He looked up at it, and continued.  
  
"It said 'listen'. That's what I heard, then the ground shook. Her hand dissapeared. And you were there."  
  
What is he trying to get at, she wondered. This hurts me to hear him talk about her like this . . .  
  
He sat up, and turned his gaze down to the ground. She pulled herself up.  
  
"And later, on the Highwind . . . I saw Holy come from the ground . . . we all did. But I think I'm the only one who saw her. I saw her face . . ."  
  
"Cloud," she said, her voice craking. She cleared her throat. "I saw her too. I think everyone did, but-"  
  
"But I also heard her again. Either I'm going insane or I'm recieving psychic messages, or something . . ." he laughed a little, and rubbed his forhead in his hands. Tifa shifted a bit and looked down at the ground, so he wouldn't see her face turning red as she fought back tears. Why am I crying? she wondered.  
  
"And she said . . . she . . . she said 'let go'. Then Meteor was covered by Holy. I . ." he trailed off again. He breathed in and turned to her. She looked into his blue eyes.  
  
"You . . . what?" she managed. The sky turned crimson as another firework blasted off.  
  
"I . . ." suddenly, the words came out in a rush. "I can't stand this! It driving me crazy! Why her? Why did he have to . . . Why did she . . . I can't think straight anymore!" He stood up and put his head in his hands. Tifa stood quickly and looked at him. His face was turning red, she could see it even in the dark night.  
  
"I mean, why did she have to go and do that? For the longest time I never understood! I couldn't shake the scene of her dying. After it happened, it just replayed in my mind like a nightmare. Her smile, her eyes, the sword, his smirk. Everything just played like a movie; one I couldn't press the stop button for." He went on, the words rushing together. Tifa held back her tears as she watched him grit his teeth and relive the moment, she knew, over again.  
  
"Everytime I closed my eyes, it never went away. I mean everytime. I feared going to sleep; I might have to go through it again. It became an obsession."  
  
Tifa put her hand on his shoulder. He looked back at her, watching the sympathy and concern play across her face like a mask.  
  
"But then," he said, turning his gaze away. "When I saw her that last time, something happened. I closed my eyes and didn't see it. Didn't see her at all." He turned around and faced her. "I saw you."  
  
Her eyes opened wide and she jumped back a step in surprise. He took her hand.  
  
"Tifa, before I met her I always saw you when I closed my eyes, like a dream that replayed over and over. When I left Nibelheim it still played through my mind. Your eyes, your smile, your laugh. I forgot for the longest time. But now, when I close my eys, your movie plays, but I don't want to press the stop button."  
  
Tifa couldn't believe what he was saying. He felt the same as she did? She looked into his eyes as.  
  
"What do you want to do?" she asked. He took her other hand and pulled her close. She tilted her head up, and he leaned forward. They kissed, and the fireworks in the sky weren't the only ones going off.  
_  
_"Stay like this forever," he said, smiling. She giggled.  
  
"Then you better hit pause."  
  
  
Ugh, okay, don't ask! That's my one and only (bad) Tifa and Cloud fic, considering I'm not a romantic writer at all and I'm 100% for the Aeris Cloud thing =) Send hate mail to QuistisChick@aol.com!_  
  
  
_


End file.
